DU, JNU can accept foreign funds without FCRA registration

New Delhi, Aug 16: Delhi University, JNU, Gujarat National Law University are among a category of some 300-odd institutions in the country that are free to accept foreign donations without registration under FCRA.

A Home Ministry official has clarified that no restriction has been imposed on such institutions in accepting donations from abroad even though they are no longer registered under the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA).

Registration of these institutions under FCRA was cancelled about two months back as they were deemed to not require registration under the amended FCRA.

As per the new rules, if an institution is created through an Act of Parliament or a state legislature or its accounts are audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), it is not required to register under FCRA for accepting foreign contributions.

"Around 300 such institutions across the country are eligible to accept foreign contributions even though they are no longer registered under FCRA," the official said.

Apart from DU, JNU and Gujarat National Law University, other institutions eligible to accept foreign contributions without FCRA registration include the IITs, Panjab University, School of Planning and Architecture.

The FCRA registration of more than 16,000 organisations was cancelled by the Union Home Ministry over the last one year for violating various provisions of the law, including non-filing of annual returns.

As many as 16 foreign donors, including US-based Ford Foundation and Greenpeace International, have been put on 'prior permission' category for defying FCRA rules.

PTI